3 Ways Chiropractic Can Help Manage Anxiety
Anxiety is incredibly prevalent in our society today, and while many people choose to manage the effects of anxiety on their own, some need more help. Medical doctors can prescribe anti-anxiety medications to help with the symptoms of anxiety, but these all come with their fair share of possible side effects. Additionally, many of them require the person to continue taking them for years or decades, or possibly even for their entire life. Additionally, some people may not want to take medication to help their anxiety and prefer a more natural way of treating it. Thankfully, several case studies have been done over the past several decades that support chiropractic as a useful and effective way of managing anxiety.
- Our Minds and Bodies Are Linked
The way our bodies function and the way ours mind think are incredibly connected to one another. Think about how emotionally exhausted you are after being sick for a few days, or think about how a stressful experience can make you feel physically ill. Our bodies and minds are linked both physically and psychologically, so when our bodies work more effectively, our brains are freed up to do the same. Additionally, when we’re physically healthier and have less pain and discomfort in our bodies, our stress and anxiety levels are naturally reduced.
- Misalignments = Hormonal Imbalances = Anxiety
While misalignments in the spine can lead to many health issues and general complaints, one of the primary problems that results from them is hormonal imbalances. Most people are aware of how important their estrogen and testosterone levels are to their overall health and body function, but our bodies create and utilize several hormones beyond just those that are vital to our bodies’ overall performance. Those hormones are not only directly influenced by our spinal cord and any misalignments in our spine, but they directly influence our sleeping patterns, weight loss or gain, changes in mood, and more. When a chiropractor removes the subluxations in your spine, your hormones should even out in production and usage, leading to more even-keeled emotions, fewer psychological complaints, and reduced anxiety.
- The Nervous System Controls Emotional & Psychological Health
In addition to hormonal imbalances being linked to both misalignments and anxiety, our overall psychological and emotional health are directly controlled by our nervous system, including our brain and spinal cord. Nerve interference, in the form of subluxations, affects the sympathetic nerves, which regulate our flight or fight responses. When our sympathetic nerves aren’t functioning properly, it’s much harder to regulate our emotional and physical responses, leading to more anxiety. When that problematic nerve interference is removed by a chiropractor, everything works more optimally and anxiety is significantly reduced.